Apparatus for recovering minerals carried off in the fumes from smelting-furnaces.



No. 704,|99. Patented July 3', 1902.

w. 8. LEE.

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING MINERALS CARRIED OFF IN THE FUMES FROM SMELTINGFURNACES.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1901 Wilncsscs 9 213 UNrrED STAT S PATENTOFFIQE.

.lVILLIAM BALLS LEE, OF MARION, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING MINERALS CARRIED OFF IN THE FUMES FROMSMELTING-FURNAC ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,199, dated uly 8,1902.

Application filed August 28. 1901. Serial No. 73,613. (No model.)

To (tZZv whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM RALLS LEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marion, in the county of lVilliamson and State of Illinois,have invented anew and useful Apparatus for Recovering Minerals CarriedOff in the Fumes from a Smelting-Furnacc, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is an improved apparatus for recovering minerals carriedoff in the fumes from a smelting-furnace; audit consistsin the peculiarconstruction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly insection, of an apparatus embodying my improvements, showing the sameconnected to a smeltingfurnace. Fig. 2 is a detail transverse'sectionalview of my improved apparatus.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a precipitating-chamber 1,which is here shown ashorizontally disposed and as being oblong in form.In practice this precipitating-chamber may be of any suitable size andconstructed of any suitable material. The bottom 2 of the saidprecipitating-chamber is inclined laterally to shed water, and at thelower side of the inclined bottom is a trough 3, which leads from oneend of the said precipitating-chamber. The latter is divided into aseries of compartments 4 by baffleplates 5 6, which are associated inpairs,the

baffles 5 depending from the top of the pre-' oipitating-chamber and thebaffles 6 projecting vertically from the bottom thereof, said baffles 56 being suitably spaced apart, and hence the precipitating-chamberforms, in effect, a continuous tortuous passage. At the rear end of thesaid precipitating-chamber an eduction-flue 7 leads therefrom, and inthe said eduction-flue is a suction-fan 8.

A smoke-flue 9 leads from the smeltingfurnace A. The saidsmelting-furnace may be of any suitable construction. That portion ofthe flue which leads immediately from the furnace forms an uptake 10,said flue being curved at 11 and formed with'a downtake 12. The latterdischarges into the precipitating-chamber at the front end thereof, sothat the smoke, fumes, products of combustion, and the minerals carriedby the fumes from the furnace will be discharged into saidprecipitating-chamber and caused to pass therethrough from its front endto its rear end by the blast through the eduction-flue 7 and theexhaust-draft created by the fan 8 through the saidprecipitating-chamber. will be'understood that the baffles cause thefumes and the minerals carried thereby to descend successively in thechambers 4 and to pass from one chamber 10 another through the uptakesformed by the spaces between the baffles 5 6. A steam-pipe 13, whichleads from a suitable boiler, (not shown,) is provided with a nozzlewhich discharges a jet of steam upwardly in the uptake 10 of line 9 atthe point where said uptake leads from the furnace. This steam jetaccelerates the draft, promotes combustion of the combustible substancesin the fumes, and moistens the mineral particles carried by the fumes. AWater-pipe 14, which leads from asuitable source of water, is providedwith a nozzle which discharges spray downwardlyin the downtake 12 offlue 9, said nozzle bei ng indicated by the reference-numeral 15.Nozzles l6 depend from the said pipe 1d and spray water downwardly inthe chamber-compartments 4. Hence the fumes which pass from the furnacethrough the precipitating-chamber are showered with water during theirdescent through the downtake 12 and during their passage through thevarious compartments 4, the elfect of the water thus showered downwardlyon the fumes being to condense the particles, including the minerals,and precipitate them to the bottom of the precipitating-chamber. Theextent of the .precipitating-chamber in practice is such that when thefumes have passed through all the various compartments thereof theminerals carried by the fumes have been separated therefrom audprecipitated to the bottom of the said chamber. The minerals carried'off by the water descending on the bottom of the precipitating-chamberto the trough 3 are discharged from the latter at one end of theprecipitating-chamber. I also employ a series of settling-troughs 17, ofwhich any suitable number may be employed, which settling-troughs areprovided with baflies or rililes 18. A pipe 19 leads from the trough 3and is connected by branches 20 to the settling-troughs. As here shownthere are two of the said troughs and two of the said branches, and Iprovide the pipe 19 with a valve 21, by which water carrying theminerals separated from the fumes and precipitated in the chamber 1 maybe caused to flow to either of the settling-troughs at will. Theminerals settle in the said troughs, the water flowing therefrom throughspouts 22. While the minerals are being recovered from one of saidsettling-troughs the other may be in operation.

By means of my improved apparatus the minerals which are ordinarilywasted by benace, of a precipitating-chamber having baffie-platesarranged therein and separating the chamber into communicatingcompartments, an induction-flue connecting one end of the chamber withthe furnace and including means for accelerating the projection of fumesto the chamber and for moistening the same, water-spraying mechanismarranged in the compartments, an eduction flue including suctionmechanism connecting with the other end of the chamber, a conduit forconveying the precipitated materials from the chamber, andsettling-troughs including valve mechanism connecting with the conduit.

2. The combination with a smelting-furnace, of a precipitating-chamber,an inverted- U shaped flue connecting one end of the chamher with thedome of the furnace,an upwardlydischarging steam-pipe entering the legof the flue connecting with the furnace, a downwardly discharging Waterpipe connecting with the leg of the flue entering the chamber,.

water-spraying means communicating with the chamber, and a flueincluding suction mechanism disposed at the discharge end of thechamber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM BALLS LEE.

